Not a Single Democrat Attended Senate Fraud Hearing

By
Billy Costigan
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A Senate hearing on alleged government fraud proceeded Wednesday without any Democratic members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in attendance, leaving Republican lawmakers and invited witnesses to discuss what they described as widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded programs.

Among those testifying was independent journalist Nick Shirley, whose investigations into alleged fraud involving social service programs in Minnesota have received national attention.


In prepared remarks submitted ahead of the hearing, Shirley argued that government fraud is both widespread and easy to uncover.

“Fraud is so rampant in the United States that I could go to all 50 states and uncover millions of tax dollars being defrauded, wasted and abused,” Shirley said.

He urged Congress to respond aggressively.

“I ask Congress to take action and help Americans by taking massive action to protect our tax dollars and end the fraud and to always put Americans first,” he said.

According to Shirley, one of the reasons fraud has persisted is a lack of oversight.

“People wonder how fraud became so rampant in the United States. It is because no one ever looked before,” he testified.

Shirley cited several examples that he said illustrate the scope of the problem. Referring to California’s Medicaid program, he claimed spending had increased dramatically despite little change in enrollment, arguing that the system has become vulnerable to fraudulent activity.


He also alleged that some government-funded adult day care centers in New York City have enrolled far more participants than they could realistically serve, claiming patients receive financial incentives to attend programs and recruit others.

Some of Shirley’s testimony also addressed election-related concerns.

He referenced reports involving a dog that was reportedly able to cast ballots in California before the issue was discovered by its owner, who said she intentionally reported the incident to demonstrate weaknesses in the voter registration system. Shirley also cited previous allegations that homeless individuals had been paid to vote, arguing that such claims deserve closer scrutiny.

Also appearing before the committee was investigative journalist James O’Keefe, who discussed his reporting on alleged fraud in California’s ballot-access process.

“The question before this Committee is not whether this fraud exists,” O’Keefe said in his prepared testimony. “The question is why the incentives allow it to flourish. There is money in fraud. There is no money in exposing the fraud.”

He argued that government institutions often emphasize accountability in public statements but fail to consistently enforce those principles when misconduct is uncovered.

“They campaign in this building about freedom and protecting democracy, preventing disenfranchisement, and how nobody is above the law,” O’Keefe said. “But if those principles are not enforced when they are violated in broad daylight, they are not principles at all. They are slogans.”


Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., also highlighted what he described as striking examples of suspected fraud.

Posting on X after the hearing, Paul pointed to one case involving an adult day care facility that he said billed millions of dollars while claiming to serve approximately 7,000 patients.

“7,000 patients at one adult daycare is billing $12 million. This is just one location engaging in massive fraud,” Paul wrote. “Imagine how many others are out there and how much of your hard-earned money is being set on fire because of fraudsters.”

The hearing focused heavily on allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse across federal and state-funded programs, with witnesses calling for stronger oversight and more aggressive enforcement. The absence of Democratic committee members became a point of discussion during and after the hearing, as Republicans argued that the issues raised deserved broader bipartisan attention.

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